Leeds Rhinos news: duo cleared to return after injury but forward faces spell on sidelines

Coach Brad Arthur confirmed team changes are unlikely for the showdown at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, though rookies Alfie Edgell and Ben Littlewood are now back to fitness. Edgell, a full-back or winger, has not played since suffering a thigh injury in a pre-season game against Wakefield Trinity six months ago. Forward Littlewood made two substitute appearances early in the season and was later loaned to York Knights, playing three times before suffering a broken hand at the start of May.

Speaking at a press conference to preview this weekend’s encounter, Arthur said: “Where we sit at the moment we are pretty healthy, which is a good thing. We’ve got Alfie Edgell and Ben Littlewood who have come back into the fold.

“We have still got three sessions to get through, but touch wood we are in a good place. The staff have done a really good job getting the boys ready and the boys have done a really good job working on their physicality to make sure they stay healthy.”

One player unavailable this weekend is back-rower Ethan O’Neill who has returned to Rhinos for treatment after being injured playing on loan for Hull FC. Arthur said: “He has got a hamstring injury, he’ll be a couple of weeks.”

There’s better news about prop/loose-forward Presley Cassell who limped out of Rhinos’ reserves game against Wigan Warriors last Friday. Arthur revealed: “He just had a bump to the knee, it was more precautionary, him coming off. He is fine.”

The coach also confirmed Man of Steel Jake Connor is fit and available for Sunday despite being replaced near the end of last week’s game following treatment on the field. “He will be fine,” the coach insisted.

“He does a lot of work on his kicking so his loads have been quite high. He got a few bumps, he was a bit busted going into the game and we got in a position with about 10 minutes to go of having the luxury [of being able to take him off].

“We’ve got Chank [Chris Hankinson] in the team who can cover any position. It wasn’t anything to do with disrespect to the opposition, just Jake has been important for us and the result was sort of locked away so we needed to worry about next week.”

Bulls will be without forward Will Gardiner after he was concussed during last Saturday’s 40-10 home defeat by St Helens. He was taken off the field on a stretcher following a clash of heads and coach Kurt Haggerty admitted: “It was pretty frightening.

“From the feedback I got, he had a bit of a bleed from the ear too so there was a lot of concerning moments. Just after the game I got into the medical room to see him before he went to the hospital and he had a smile on his face.

“He was alert and he’s back home with his partner so he is in a better place. He has to go back for another CT scan, they found a slight bleed on the brain, but it could have been something from birth so it’s maybe something not too concerning. I don’t know the details, but it’s not as severe as it might sound.”

To rub salt into Gardiner’s wound, he has been fined by the RFL’s match review panel after being charged with grade B head contact over the incident which led to his injury. Bulls second-rower Phoenix Steinwede also took a knock last weekend.

Haggerty said: “We’ve assessed him today and at this moment in time it doesn’t look great. He is telling me he’s ready and wants to play, but the medical staff are telling me something different. I’ll know more by tomorrow afternoon. I don’t think we’ve got anybody due back [from injury] for at least maybe another two-four weeks.”